Any travel suggestions with Raynauds?

[kim07]

Hi. I have raynauds. I am 49 and am starting uni. I have to walk to the train station which is 10 minutes away , wait 10 mins for train then travel for half hour. I am worried as usually I have to know where there is a hot tap to run my hands under and as I am going to be travelling for nearly an hour with no access I was wondering how long can ones fingers stay white without it been a problem? I have bought the silver gloves and layered with another pair of gloves, I wear two woolen thermals, a teeshirt, a cashmere jumper, woollen jacket and gloves and still managed to get white fingers last winter. Shaking them out seems to help sometimes but my doctor did scare me as she said if you cant get the blood back in it becomes a medical emergency! Whenever it happens which seems to now be more regularly I get myself into a complete panic trying to get the blood back into the fingers. ANy suggestions and does anyone know if it is dangerous to have white fingers for over an hour??

[bookworm]

Hiya wear layers, scarf inside, then over your coat another scarf, probably if there is hot air dryers in the loos warm your hands and if your wearing gloves warm them as well, try not to get stressed as that is what can trigger an attack. If there is someone where you can buy a hot drink and put your hands round that.

[tinaparkii]

Please try these hand warmers as they are the best thing iv tried by far. I now buy them in bulk as there from a site which I think is for stores to order from. But i joined and no questions asked so prob could be for anyone to buy from. The site is boyztoys. Com. On the winter essentials there amazing and last the 8 hours as stated on the packet. Good luck

[jogoody]

Hi there maybe a mini hot water bottle would help? I have seen them online for under £5, I suffer with Raynauds in my foot so have never tried this but thought no harm in suggesting it good luck x

[adow]

My husband uses the re-usable ones from most out doors stores, e.g. Blacks, Yeomans etc. They are great, as you just reboil them to use again and again. You can take them with you, and you just click the metal disc in the gel pack and a chemical reaction makes them heat up for about 30 mins. He has some that he has used for 4 or 5 years. Also bought him some battery heating gloves from Maplins a while ago, and I even found him a battery heated coat from a charity shop for £2, brand new. One thing he has to do, is make sure his hands and gloves are really warm before he even ventures outside. Good luck

[Daisy23]

Hi - congrats on starting uni!

As others have said, hand warmers are the way to go as you need some kind of portable heat source. There are lots of different kinds, some of which are reusable and some of which are single use (have tried most of them!) Personally, I find the one-use handwarmers, such as Grabber or Little Hotties, work the best - they last for at least a few hours and you can buy them in bulk.

I get mine from Amazon and over the last year I've found the Little Hotties ones have become a bit less effective and the Grabbers have worked better (don't know whether companies change the formula they use every so often or if I just had a bad batch of the LH...)

Some brands also have footwarmers you can put in your shoes (I get severe Raynaud's attacks in my feet as well as my hands).

Good luck and hope all goes well.

[kim07]

Thank you all for you kind suggestions. I appreciate them.

[Yorky]

I agree with the others about handwarmers, I like the Hotrox from the RSA, they have an on/off switch and are rechargeable. For my feet I use the heated insoles from EXO. They are expensive, but really work. I bought my pair in Dec 09, along with a spare set of batteries, and they are still working..

[AHM42]

I would agree with the answer from Yorky above. A HotRox could be your answer. Certainly I find mind great and so easy to use. Well worth the money and very effective without any danger of burning as there are two heat levels. I find that one is fine and keep changing hands. I also wear Turtle Doves and put the HotRox into them - they really work. Try their website turtle-doves.co.uk  or the RSA website raynauds.org.uk for other ideas on heating aid products.

[overnighthearingloss]

An idea I saw on another forum suggested that a baked potato made an excellent hand warmer.

Whats more you can also carry a snack with you

No but seriously, this info might be useful for some with the winter coming. Especially if you have an attack at home. Spud in the microwave and instant handwarmer.

[graygirl1]

Hello Kim07,

Yes, it's that time of the year where we need all the help we can get to keep warm. I suffer even in the warmer months and I drive everywhere I need to go. I wear ordinary knitted gloves or mitts, socks, leggings under trousers, hats or caps, head wraps or scarves when I go out. Mustn't forget the thermal vests or tea shirts under tops or blouses.

I also take Nefedipine tablets 20mgs daily which makes a great difference. I have found this medication to be very effective. There are other drugs that do the same thing so if you need to, ask your GP if he/she would help.

Wrap up well and hope you have more comfortable journeys to work and back.

Graygirl1

[graygirl1]

I feel for you. Lots of warm clothing, cover your head and ears with a knitted hat and scarf. Thermal underwear, gloves, tights or leggings and socks under skirts and trousers. You can always remove some layers when you get to your destination.

Are you taking any medication to improve the blood circulation to your extremities? I take Nefedipine tablet once a day especially when I'm going out and find it to be quite effective.

Talk to your GP about medication and perhaps a referral to the Rheumatologist if not yet done so.

Take good care and keep as warm as possible. Have a warm Christmas and New Year.

Graygirl1